Reply With QuoteOriginally Posted by qccfc
If any team were there for the taking then it was Blackburn last night. They were completely disinterested first half in particular. it was us erring on the side of caution (yet again) that gave them hope.
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And therein lies the problem.
It seems we're determined to go with this wing back system when perhaps we don't have the players to implement it?
It's all good and well copying the system that brought Wales success over the last few years but if we haven't got players of the calibre of Bale, Ramsey, Allen, Ledley etc. then it's never going to achieve the same level of success.
If any team were there for the taking then it was Blackburn last night. They were completely disinterested first half in particular. it was us erring on the side of caution (yet again) that gave them hope.
Undoububtedly, Gunnar's role was to be the midfield player that burst forward to support our attacking players. This strategy was very effective in the first thirty five minutes and helped us to seize the initiative. I thought his pass to release Pilkington was superb. However, once Peltier began to struggle with injury and once he was replaced by Harris, Gunnar was asked to perform a different role. He played much wider on the right hand side of midfield, presumably to protect any perceived defensive frailties the Peltier injury might expose.
I felt this had a bitter, sweet effect. His change of position contributed to us taking the foot of the pedal has an attacking unit but I also felt that his combination with the hard running and direct threat posed by Harris posed a much greater counter attacking edge than we have previously posed this season. It also appeared that Manga, our best footballer in the centre back position, gained confidence from this combination to carry the ball forward and create space on the right hand side of the field.
Like Gringo, I am a little concerned with the he development of Ralls. Last season he was looking to take the ball in the half turn, beat his immediate opponent and get his head up to release forward players quickly. His passing inbetween the centre back and full back was very effective at times because it was done much higher up the field giving opposition players less opportunity to recover position. This season he appears to be playing by numbers, more concerned with keeping possession at all costs rather than looking to find the pass that hurts the opposition. In tight situations his immediate response is to turn back and look for a pass that concedes territory. It frustrates fans and allows opposing teams more time to reorganise. It may well be a product of getting used to a new system passed around a passing and possession style of play. Currently, I find this steel to be annoying, frustrating and at times bewildering to comprehend. Perhaps, I do not appreciate the finer points of the modern game.
Thats the issue with this system, for Wales we sit deep and hope for sides to come onto us for Bale and Ramsey to attack, where Wales are going to struggle in the next qualification is with teams sitting deep at us happy with a draw.
That's where Cardiff are now, with 3 midfielders 1 has to be a pure sitter, and whichever one it is we are going to have threads saying why is Whittingham so deep, why is Ralls to deep, etc. The system is set up to have the wing backs as attackers, however what would you prefer having Peltier and John going forward, or playing 2 wingers and Ralls attacking as part of a midfield 5
Not going to pick any individual out but it does seem we have a team of Butch Wilkins at the moment.Virtually every pass is sideways or backwards,every pass is a safe pass and it ended up most of the time last night with a defensive player either playing it back to Marshall or lumping it hopefully forward.
Early days to be over critical but I thought we were as poor last night as against QPR-fortunately Blackburn were dire.It isn't any more entertaining than last season and unless we get people like Ralls,Huws and John driving forward it is going to be boring fare.
Kadeem when he came on provided such drive and that is what we need-a little more adventure and a lot less safety first.
Its not worth responding too is it? I gave an example of how good ralls can be and if we are looking at performances in general this season not many will come out with much credit but the point i make is ralls is very much the future of our centre mid and is still a young player who will if nurtured get better still.
Chepstow would you like to reply?
No but when he played in a 4-4-2, Ralls still tried to playmake. He should be playing more box to box, especially when we played a flat 3 in the middle last night to all intensive purposes.
I think it's obvious that Trollope signed neither of those strikers. They have both come via Tans European scouting network. Why we took the option to sign Zohore after his loan spell and give him a 3 year deal I will never know. I can only assume it was all done and dusted before he signed in January.
Ralls is one of the players who has the ability to drive forward with the ball and should be encouraged to do so.
Oh dear.............. Still have the same view?
Goooooooooooal
The criticism was largely unfair, he's a cracking player and keeps the ball well.
His stats are good and he plays good balls to the wing backs, one lovely one last week to Richards, which came to nothing due to the fact he's unwilling to run at the space in front of him.
He also wins tackles and headers.
By the way ....
Whittingham was - judging by stats and reports superb yesterday.
Pity the defending was so poor for the equaliser
Wasn't his point getting Ralls further forward and passing the ball forward ?!?
He scored his goal by getting further forward?!?
It's the same old Dick heads every time mate. I'm happy Joe Ralls scored yesterday and I certainly don't just make flippant comments for the sake of it.
Judging by Trollope's comments interview he was asking the players to be braver himself, so what Chepstow's point is is.He don't know.
hmmmmm
It was noticeable that Trollope was urging the players to get forward, so who are calling the shots on the pitch?, the gap between strikers and midfielders is alarming, total lack of ambition on the pitch to win games, packing the defence with no outlet at corners and at opposition set pieces, it's just anti football.
Joe was, again, anonymous and lost every 50:50 challenge. Not sure if it's the player or the system but he's not playing well.
Manga was also a liability when he came on again, and there is something wrong with Immers - just hope it's not the fact that he now has a contract.
Some positive things today - but striking wasn't one of them...
Once again, I didn't think Ralls was bad, won some ball and kept passing well. However he does look a shadow of what he was last season, confidence low and little coming off for him.
For me the major weak spot was Gunnarson- he was awful. Losing the ball time and again.
Harris did OK too, but seemed to be isolated quite a lot.
Whitts excellent 1st half but drifted out 2nd.
The problem is mate he seems so hung up on possession stats that he is lacking any bravery whatsoever.
He ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS takes the safe option and even the positions he takes up are negative.
In the first half once Richards had the ball out wide and Joe looked as if he was gonna hit the hole in between lines but then checked as he always does and loops behind the full back to become a FOURTH centre back!
Gunnarsson is absolute garbage and Huws must be thinking 'how shit must I be if I can't get in the team in front of them'
We need two new midfielders alongside Whitts and a new striker and we'll be fine.
Harris was excellent and it was great to see someone actually being positive on the ball
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